Beer + arcade = Beercade

The McKinney Ten Percent, the ad agency's incubator that encourages all employees to devote 10% of their time to focus on new applications of creativity and technology unrelated to current client business, has found a way to breathe new life into both beer tasting and arcade gaming. The agency created the first-ever beer-dispensing arcade game for Big Boss Beer brand, that puts two players against each other in a simple fighting game, developed with Adobe Flash technology.



Players choose one of five characters, each one representing one kind of beer from Big Boss Brewing Company. The fight begins and the winner receives a glass full of beer from the arcade machine. Check the video case below:



This kind of advertising action is called advergame. Advergame means "advertise" + "game". It’s a strategy for marketing communication that uses mainly electronic games to advertise brands and products. That includes a large range that goes from games that are developed specifically for advertising purposes, to common games that have ads in its interfaces.

It’s always good to see gaming language hybridizing with other areas of knowledge, like advertising in this case. If you like this subject I strongly recommend this site (link here).

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The awesome experience of DEVICE 6

The end of 2013 brought a great ludic surprise to my iPhone: DEVICE 6, a very different game from publisher Simogo Games.

As described on the game’s official website, DEVICE 6 is a “surreal thriller in which the written word is your map, as well as your narrator. DEVICE 6 plays with the conventions of games and literature, entwines story with geography and blends puzzle and novella, to draw players into an intriguing mystery of technology and neuroscience”.



Check the game trailer below:



The gameplay is a creative combination of scrolling screens with puzzle solving. As the player scrolls down the screen, texts and images arise, creating the experience of the gaming narrative. One important detail: the player can go back and forward in the maze of words as a map. So let’s check the gameplay in the video below to understand this feature:



This game reflects clearly the idea proposed by Aarseth (1997, p.1-2) of ergodic literature. As the author says, ergodic literature is derived from “the Greek words ergon, meaning ‘work’, and hodos, meaning ‘path’. In ergodic literature, nontrivial effort is required to allow the reader to traverse the text. If ergodic literature is to make sense as a concept, there must also be nonergodic literature, where the effort to traverse the text is trivial, with no extranoematic responsibilities placed on the reader except (for example) eye movement and the periodic or arbitrary turning of pages”.

DEVICE 6 creates a perfect balance between many cultural elements. It’s a unique experience to play and study. Go ahead, download the game and have fun.

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Reference:

AARSETH, Espen. Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature. The Johns Hopkins University Press: Maryland, 1997.

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Do Sugar Gliders Make Good Pets?

On Thursday January 9th, we went to a inhome consult and met a client who owns 6 Sugar Gliders.  When I set up this inhome consult I knew they had these small marvelous little creatures, but I felt it was prudent to do some research before the inhome consult so I had some idea of what Sugar Gliders are.

So we went to the inhome consult and met the 6 little Sugar Gliders and oh my gosh they are fascinating to watch.  The owners are very committed to taking care of these little animals and that commitment and dedication is important when deciding to take care of an exotic animal.

This got me thinking about whether Sugar Gliders would make good pets for anyone.  So, if you are trying to decide whether a Sugar Glider is right for your family or not, here are some things you should know before bringing home a Sugar Glider.  Always do your research first before bringing home any new pet.

1. Sugar Gliders are not legal to own everywhere so before purchasing, make sure it is legal to have them in your home.
2. Sugar gliders are very playful, entertaining pets. They are very social, and ideally they should be kept in pairs or groups, and they should have a good deal of social interaction with their owners. 
3. They are fairly clean and do not have complex housing requirements. They can live to be 12-14 years in captivity so make sure you are committed to taking care of them for the rest of their lives.
4. They do need a good amount of interaction (even if it is just riding around in a pocket all day), and aren't great housetraining candidates. 
5. Their nails are sharp and will scratch if they need to dig in while climbing or landing on you so keeping them well trimmed is a good idea. 
6. They do have sharp teeth and though they are not aggressive, will bite if they feel threatened or frightened. If your new Sugar Glider is not already tamed and used to be handled, it may take a great deal of time and patience to get them to the point where they are cuddly.  When they do bite, it is very important that you DO NOT flinch or move your hand away.  It is important that you actually "take the bite".   Eventually the biting will stop once your Sugar Glider realizes that biting you is not scaring you.
7. Gentle and frequent training sessions will eventually allow bonding of the glider to its owner. Gliders adore being near their owners, inside a shirt (hint wear two shirts and let the glider hang out between them, or else their claws will tickle or scratch!) or in a pocket. They will become great companions, who view you as an equal. Sugar gliders do not respond at all to punishment or domination, so treat them with respect, gentleness and understanding, and you will be rewarded with a devoted companion! 
8. Sugar Gliders do have fairly strict dietary requirements. Make sure you get information from the breeder about the recommended diet for your Sugar Glider.  A potential problem in sugar gliders is paralysis stemming from an imbalance of calcium to phosphorus in the diet (i.e. too low in calcium and/or high in phosphorus). This disease (called nutritional osteodystrophy) can be prevented by proper diet and vitamin/mineral supplements. 
9. As for housing your new friends, a cage of 24 by 24 inches, by 36 inches high is a good minimum size for a pair. This is a minimum, though - bigger is better and for sugar gliders the height is more valuable than floor space. The cage wire should be no more than 1/2 inch wide, and horizontal cage bars allow climbing. The interior of the cage should provide lots of interest with toys, and exercise wheel, nest box and/or glider pouches. Branches, ropes and ladders provide lots of opportunity for climbing and exercise.  

I personally found Sugar Gliders to be fascinating little animals and you will to, however, it is important that you do your research first before bringing home a Sugar Glider.  Just like any other pet, they require time and commitment from you for the rest of their lives.

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2013 Top Pet Food Recalls

by:  Laurie Brzostowski

I try to keep on top of all the pet food recalls that go on as they come out.  I used to work as a Quality Associate in Medical Device and one of my jobs was to make sure our products were safe to use in hospitals, etc.  So of course, I am familiar with checking the FDA website for recalls for safety issues.

But those of you who may not be aware, the FDA does list all recalls of pet food.  Below is the list of all pet food recalls of 2013.

If you are still feeding your pets any of these foods, stop immediately and start shopping around for another food to purchase.

Some natural and holistic pet foods may claim to be "made" in the USA, however, some of their ingredients may be outsourced from China or other countries.

So, here is the list of the 2013 Pet Food Recalls.

2013 Recalls and Safety Alerts

• November 27, 2013 Cargill Conducts Voluntary Recall of Select Nutrena® NatureWise® Meatbird and Chick Starter Feed
• November 04, 2013 Bailey's Choice Recalls Chicken Treats Because of Possible Salmonella Contamination
• September 04, 2013 Hubbard Feeds Inc. Announces an Expanded Voluntary Recall of Hubbard Life Homestead FastGrow Poultry Feed in Indiana, Michigan and Illinois Due to Elevated Calcium
• August 30, 2013 Nestle Purina Voluntarily Recalls Limited Number of Purina ONE beyOnd Our White Meat Chicken and Whole Barley Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food Bags Due to a Potential Health Risk
• August 26, 2013 Goldenfeast® Inc. Recalls Bird Food Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination from Parsley
• August 14, 2013 P&G Voluntarily Recalls Limited Quantity of Dry Pet Food Due to Possible Health Risk
• July 02, 2013 Hubbard Feeds Inc. Announces Voluntary Recall in Indiana and Michigan Due to Potentially Elevated Calcium and Phosphorus in Medicated Poultry Feed
• June 18, 2013 Natura Pet Issues Voluntary Recall of Specialized Dry Pet Foods Due to a Possible Health Risk
• June 12, 2013 Hartz Mountain Corporation is Voluntarily Recalling One Specific Lot of 1.2 oz. Size of Wardley Betta Fish Food Due to Possible Health Risk
• May 15, 2013 Rural King Recalls Deer Corn Because of Possible Health Risk
• May 02, 2013 Bimeda Inc. on Behalf of Manufacturer Bimeda-MTC Animal Health Inc. Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Sterile Solutions Due to Concerns Regarding Sterility and Possible Health Risk
• April 19, 2013 Natura Pet Expands Voluntary Recall of Dry Pet Foods Due to Possible Health Risk
• April 18, 2013 Merit Bird Company, LLS Recalls Vitae Because of Possible Health Risk
• April 10, 2013 Cargill’s Animal Nutrition Business Conducts Voluntary Recall of Lamb Feed
• April 03, 2013 Bravo! Issues a Voluntary Recall for Three Raw Frozen Food Diet for Dogs and Cats Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk
• March 29, 2013 Natura Pet Expands Voluntary Recall of Dry Pet Foods Due to Possible Health Risk
• March 18, 2013 Natura Pet Issues Voluntary Recall of Specialized Dry Pet Foods Due to Possible Health Risk
• March 13, 2013 Bravo! Recalls 2 lb Tubes of Chicken Blend-Raw Frozen Food Diet for Dogs and Cats (One Lot Code) Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk
• March 10, 2013 Premium Edge, Diamond Naturals and 4health Dry Cat Food Formulas Voluntarily Recalled Due to Possibility of Low Levels of Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
• March 07, 2013 Diggin’ Your Dog Recalls Strippin' Chicks Pet Treats Distributed in Colorado and Nevada Due to Possible Salmonella Hazard
• March 07, 2013 Steve’s Real Food Recalls Turducken Canine Recipe Patties Because of Possible Health Risk
• March 06, 2013 Jones Natural Chews Co Recalls Woofers Dog Treats Because Of Possible Salmonella Health Risk
• March 05, 2013 Cargill’s animal nutrition business conducts voluntary recall of select mineral product used in ruminant feed
• February 27, 2013 United Pet Group Inc., Voluntarily Withdraws "Ultra Blend Gourmet Food for Parakeets," "eCotrition Grains & Greens Nutritional Supplement for Parakeets," "eCotrition Grains & Greens Nutritional Supplement for Canaries and Finches," and "eCotrition Grains & Greens Nutritional Supplement for Cockatiels" Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination
• February 22, 2013 Hy-Vee Issues Voluntary Recall of Certain Dog Food Products
• February 21, 2013 Kasel Associates Industries Recalling Certain Pet Treats Due to Salmonella Contamination
• February 21, 2013 The Honest Kitchen® Voluntarily Recalls Limited Lots Of Verve®, Zeal®And Thrive® Products Due To Possible Health Risk
• February 20, 2013 Nutri-Vet, LLC Recalls Nutri-Vet and Nutripet Chicken Jerky Products Because Of Possible Salmonella Health Risk
• February 19, 2013 Kaytee Recalls Bird Treats and Greens Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination from Parsley Flakes
• February 19, 2013 Kasel Associated Industries Recalls All Products Manufactured at its Denver, Colorado Facility from April 20, 2012 thru September 19, 2012 Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk
• February 15, 2013 Nature's Variety Issues Voluntarily Recall of One Batch of Instinct® Raw Organic Chicken Formula for Dogs & Cats Due to Possible Health Risk
• January 28, 2013 The Hartz Mountain Corporation is voluntarily withdrawing its Hartz Chicken Chews and Hartz Oinkies Pig Skin Twists wrapped with Chicken for dogs
• January 09, 2013 Milo’s Kitchen® Voluntarily Recalls Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers Home-style Dog Treats

For more information and/or to keep up to date on any and all pet food recalls, please visit http://www.fda.gov.

Keep your pets safe by feeding them the right choices.

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Sound as a gameplay element

As in movies, sound is an essential component for videogames. Games like God of War even using an orchestra to record its soundtrack, and war games like Call of Duty recreate each detail of sound inside a battle camp. But some games like Beat Sneak Bandit (Simogo Games, 2012) use the sound design as a component for the gameplay.



In this very fun game, created for smartphones and tablets, the player is invited to control a bandit trying to invade different houses in a fixed screen interface. The idea is to move the character tapping the screen to the rhythm of the beat. One music beat equals one tap on the screen, so it’s important to be careful not to go off the rhythm. And here's a hint: try to beat your foot on the floor simultaneously with the beat of the music; this helps to keep your concentration and not miss a move. You can check the gameplay below:



Another good example that we can bring into our discussion is Zapp Zerapp, a board game with a curious sound component. In this example, players roll two dice for numbers from two to thirteen and simultaneously start picking up one of the thirteen wooden containers and shaking them. Inside the containers are one to thirteen lead pellets. Players are trying to select the container with the highest number of pellets, so long as it doesn't exceed the result of the dice. (source: Boardgame Geek)



Games that work auditory and tactile stimuli are even widely used with visually impaired children. Therefore, it is important to observe more carefully this kind of playful experiment. And this will be the subject of a future post.

Wait for it.

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Game ideas in 6 easy steps

Source: http://www.sociallonerstudios.com/

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Observing level design in Gauntlet

I’m an old school gamer and, occasionally, I like to play NES cartridges from the 80’s. One of my favorite titles from this time is Gauntlet.

Gauntlet (1985, Atari Games) is a fantasy-themed hack and slash game, originally created for arcade with versions for NES, Master System, Mega Drive and other consoles. In the NES version, players could select among four playable characters: Thor the barbarian, Merlin the Wizard, Thyra the Valkyrie, or Questor the elvish archer. Gauntlet’s levels are full of orcs, spectres, skeletons, treasure chests and other classic elements from medieval Role Playing Games.



Each character has unique abilities, powers and weaknesses. So, it’s possible to explore different ways playing the game solo or combining different powers with a friend on the second joystick.

The gameplay is set within a series of top-down, third person perspective mazes where the goal is to find and scape through the exit in every stage. The video below shows Gauntlet’s mechanics.



Despite the simple interface and limited resources of this time, Gauntlet is a good example of level design management. The game has 100 stages and each of them is unique and works with the limited boundaries of the TV screen. The game uses the player’s memory with complicated mazes and has a life meter that works as a time pressure component.

The 100 stages are divided among five worlds, each one with special technical features. In Gauntlet it’s possible to see a well-constructed difficult/learning curve by passing the stages. The game hybridises the levels with the mechanics to offer the player a positive experience.

In this context it’s possible to say, “games consist of stages, or levels. As the player progresses through a game, the levels generally increase in difficulty and the story develops. The designer must create a series of challenges for the player as he progresses through a level. This means that the design of individual levels is closely linked to the design of the game mechanics” (THOMPSON; BERBANK-GREEN; CUSWORTH: 2007: p.93).

I think it’s important to analyze ideas from the past to establish new connections today. The beginning of the 80’s is a perfect frame to observe some conditions that are patterns of today’s gaming industry.

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Reference:

THOMPSON, Jim; BERBANK-GREEN, Barnaby; CUSWORTH, Nic. Game Design: principles, practice, and tecniques - the ultimate guide for the aspiring game designer. New Jersey: Wiley, 2007

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